One week left in the school year; please forgive my inability to say much of anything of substance.

But—blessed, blessed Memorial Day weekend lies ahead! Three day weekends, I love you so. I plan to putter around my kitchen, sleep, attend a graduation party (homemade Chinese food, anyone?), go to the theatre, and host dinner + movie night with pasta, two of my best friends, and “An Education.”

On Monday, the festivities continue, as we will be performing our patriotic duty by grilling meat outdoors, drinking beer, and enjoying the company of loved ones. I will certainly be making these carrot sticks, to which I have recently become addicted. They are fast and easy to make, and really bring out the flavor of the beautiful Farmers Market carrots we’ve been getting lately—like the purple beauties you see above.

If you need some ideas for Memorial Day eats, I’ve listed a couple of favorites below. Wishing ya’ll a very restful long weekend!

Combine the water, vinegar, & sugar in a saucepan. Bring the mixture up to a boil, stirring to ensure the sugar dissolves. Toss in the seasonings and let the mixture “steep” for 10-15 minutes.

In the meantime, trim and peel the carrots, cutting them into manageable sticks. Lay them at the bottom of a shallow dish and pour the vinegar mixture on top. Let the carrots sit in the vinegar mixture for at least a half-hour before enjoying. At this point, you can include fresh herbs: dill or cilantro are both good choices.

Carrots will keep in a covered container in the fridge for several weeks. Personally, I like to remove the carrots from the vinegar after the initial “soak” because I prefer my carrots still have some snap. If you feel differently, you can leave the carrots in their bath indefinitely.

hey girl! new site looks gorgeous…i’m so excited for you! also, looking at all these amazing foods & recipes while i’m staying in a hotel in a small town (st cloud, mn, to be exact) is brutal torture—i’m STARVING now! ; )